How much do I need to retire at 65?

A common rule of thumb is 25 times your annual expenses (the 4% rule). If you spend $60,000 per year, you need $1,500,000 saved. If you spend $80,000/year, you need $2,000,000. Social Security reduces how much you need from your portfolio, the average Social Security benefit in 2026 is about $1,900/month, which covers roughly $22,800/year.

What is a good monthly retirement income?

Most financial planners use the 80% rule, you need roughly 80% of your pre-retirement income in retirement. If you earn $75,000/year before retirement, you need about $60,000/year or $5,000/month. That would typically come from a combination of Social Security (~$1,500–$2,500/month), a portfolio withdrawal (~$2,000–$3,000/month), and any pension or rental income.

What rate of return should I use in a retirement calculator?

The S&P 500 has historically returned about 10% per year before inflation, or roughly 7% after inflation. For a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds, a 5–7% real return is a reasonable assumption. Use 5–6% if you're conservative or near retirement, 7% for a balanced long-term projection, and never assume more than 8–9% unless you're running an optimistic scenario.

What is the 4% rule for retirement?

The 4% rule (Bengen Rule) says you can withdraw 4% of your portfolio in year one of retirement, then adjust for inflation each year, and your money should last 30 years. It was derived from historical U.S. market data. For example, a $1,000,000 portfolio supports $40,000/year ($3,333/month) in withdrawals. Some planners now recommend 3.3%–3.5% to account for lower expected future returns.

How much should I save per month for retirement?

Most financial advisors recommend saving 15% of your gross income for retirement, including any employer match. For a 30-year-old earning $70,000/year, that's about $875/month. If you're behind on savings, you'll need to save more to catch up. Use this calculator to find your exact gap and the extra monthly contribution needed to close it.

When should I start collecting Social Security?

You can claim Social Security as early as 62 (with a 30% reduction from your full benefit) or delay until 70 (gaining 8%/year in delayed credits after full retirement age). If you're in good health and don't need the income immediately, delaying to 70 typically maximizes your lifetime benefits. Our Social Security timing calculator can help you find your personal break-even age.

Is $1 million enough to retire?

$1 million at a 4% withdrawal rate generates $40,000/year ($3,333/month). Combined with the average Social Security benefit of ~$1,900/month, that's roughly $5,200/month. Whether that's enough depends on your lifestyle, location, and healthcare costs. In a low cost-of-living area, $1M is often sufficient. In high-cost cities (NYC, SF, LA), most retirees need $1.5–$2.5M or more.

📊 Free Calculator

Retirement Calculator

Are you on track to retire? See your projected balance, monthly retirement income, and exactly how much gap you need to close.

Use this free retirement calculator to find out exactly how much money you'll have when you stop working — and whether that's enough to fund the retirement income you want.

Enter your current age, existing savings, and monthly contribution to get three numbers instantly: your projected retirement balance in today's dollars, your estimated monthly retirement income (via the 4% safe withdrawal rule), and the extra monthly savings needed to close any gap. All projections are inflation-adjusted — a 7% nominal return minus 3% inflation gives you a 4% real return — so every figure reflects actual purchasing power, not misleading future-dollar amounts.

A retirement savings calculator is most valuable when you're 10–25 years from retirement and still have time to course-correct. Here's a quick benchmark: if you want $5,000/month in retirement income (in today's dollars), you need a portfolio of roughly $1.5 million ($5,000 × 12 ÷ 0.04). The average Social Security benefit in 2026 is ~$1,900/month, so your personal savings target is likely $735K–$1.2M depending on lifestyle and when you claim.

Common uses for a retirement fund calculator: checking whether you're meeting Fidelity's age-based milestones (1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 10× by 67), stress-testing an early retirement scenario at 55 or 60, or finding the exact monthly contribution boost needed to retire on schedule.

If your numbers show a gap, adjust the inputs above — even a $200/month increase or a two-year delay in retirement age can close it significantly. For a complete plan that accounts for Social Security timing, Roth conversions, and healthcare costs, a fee-only retirement advisor can help. Here's what financial advisors typically charge.

Your Situation

Current Age

Retirement Age

Current Savings

401(k), IRA, brokerage, all retirement savings

Monthly Contribution

From paycheck + employer match

Expected Annual Return

Retirement Goal

How much monthly income do you want in retirement?

Target Monthly Income

Today's dollars, we'll adjust for inflation

📊

Calculating...

Projected Balance at Retirement

—

in today's dollars

Monthly Income This Provides

—

via 4% withdrawal rule

Nest Egg You Need

—

to fund your target income

Gap to Close

—

extra monthly needed

Retirement Readiness 0%

$0 Goal

Savings Growth Milestones

Age	Balance	Contributions	Growth

💡 Don't forget Social Security

This calculator shows your savings-funded income only. The average Social Security benefit in 2026 is ~$1,900/month. Add your estimated benefit (check ssa.gov/myaccount) to get your full retirement income picture.

Want a personalized retirement plan?

A fee-only CFP® can stress-test your numbers, optimize your accounts, and close your gap faster.

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How This Calculator Works

Real math, honest assumptions, no upsell tricks.

The 4% Withdrawal Rule

The widely used "safe withdrawal rate" research suggests retirees can withdraw 4% of their portfolio per year with low risk of running out of money over a 30-year retirement. We use this to estimate the monthly income your balance can safely provide.

Inflation Adjustment

All results are shown in today's purchasing power, not nominal future dollars. We apply a 3% annual inflation adjustment to make the numbers meaningful, $5,000/month in 2026 dollars is what matters to you now.

Return Assumptions

Conservative (5%) assumes a bond-heavy or cautious portfolio. Moderate (7%) reflects historical S&P 500 returns after inflation, the benchmark most planners use for long-term stock-heavy portfolios. Aggressive (9%) is for younger investors with higher risk tolerance.

What This Doesn't Include

Social Security income, pension income, part-time work in retirement, inheritance, or the impact of healthcare costs. A complete retirement plan from a CFP® accounts for all of these, this calculator gives you the savings-funded baseline.

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How to Use This Retirement Calculator

This retirement savings calculator uses your current age, existing savings, monthly contribution, expected annual return, and target retirement age to project how much money you'll have at retirement. It then applies the 4% rule, the widely-cited guideline that retirees can safely withdraw 4% of their portfolio per year without running out of money, to estimate your monthly retirement income.

All projections are calculated in real (inflation-adjusted) dollars, meaning the default 7% return assumption already nets out a 3% average inflation rate, giving you results in today's purchasing power. You can adjust the return rate to be more conservative (5–6%) or more optimistic (8–10%) depending on your risk tolerance and investment mix.

How Much Do I Need to Retire? Rules of Thumb

There are several widely-used benchmarks for retirement savings. None is perfect for everyone, but they're useful starting points:

Rule	Formula	Example ($60K/yr spending)
4% Rule (Bengen)	Annual spending ÷ 0.04	$1,500,000
25× Rule	Annual spending × 25	$1,500,000
Fidelity Milestones	1× salary by 30, 3× by 40, 6× by 50, 8× by 60, 10× by 67	Varies by age
80% Rule	Need 80% of pre-retirement income per year	$48K/yr from portfolio

Note: The 4% rule was developed by financial planner William Bengen in 1994 based on historical stock and bond returns. Some researchers now suggest a 3.3%–3.5% withdrawal rate is safer given current market conditions and longer lifespans.

Retirement Savings Benchmarks by Age (2026)

How much should you have saved at each age? Based on the median U.S. household income of ~$77,000, here are the Fidelity milestone targets:

Age	Target Saved	Actual Median (Fed Data)	% On Track
30	$77,000 (1× salary)	~$14,000	18%
40	$231,000 (3× salary)	~$37,000	16%
50	$462,000 (6× salary)	~$87,000	19%
60	$616,000 (8× salary)	~$150,000	24%
67	$770,000 (10× salary)	~$185,000	24%

Source: Federal Reserve 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances. "On track" is illustrative based on Fidelity benchmarks vs. median balances.

Retirement Calculator FAQ

Your numbers showing a gap?

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